The present invention relates to an improved reactor apparatus and recycle system for the gasification of combustible carbon containing materials such as, but not limited to, coal. More specifically, this invention is concerned with the production of raw product fuel gases containing mostly methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide as a source of energy by gasifying coal char and other such carbonaceous materials by means of an improved fluidized bed reactor assembly and associated process.
In recent years, with the rapid depletion of natural gas reserves, the current political unrest in the Middle East oil producing countries, and the growing worldwide shortage of petroleum as a major source of fuel, attention has been increasingly focused on the prodigious carbonaceous material reserves in the United States. Accordingly, there has been renewed general interest in the gasification of combustible carbon containing materials as a source of fuel and greater attention devoted to the specific apparatus and techniques employed to increase the resulting energy output for a given amount of carbonaceous material.
Throughout the following specification, reference is made to coal and/or coal char. It is to be understood, however, that the scope of this invention clearly contemplates the use of combustible carbon containing materials in general, including, but not limited to, carbonaceous solids and carbonaceous solids/heavy oil combinations. Such carbonaceous materials and/or heavy oil combinations used to generate intermediate heating valve fuel gas are well known to those skilled in the art.